I Did Not Like Squid Game 2 As Well And I Have My Reasons

Watching Squid Game was such a bad experience that I didn’t want anything to do with the show again. I had strongly criticized the show and outright dismissed it for its excessive violence. Yet, I went ahead and watched its second instalment. Why? Well, because of its fresh, star-studded cast. This time, they had more popular faces to play the contestants in the game, and so I couldn’t resist watching it. I tried my best to ignore the show when it came out in December, but recently something changed, and I thought of finishing what I had started. I indeed had to look away from the screen during many scenes, but I kept watching because once you give in, there’s no turning back. Also, this time I realised there is so much more to this show than just the violence. I feel the bloodshed is just a way to keep viewers engaged; otherwise, why else would anyone watch it, right? Sadly, I did not like the show this time either, and here are my reasons for it. But first, let me tell you a few things I appreciated about it.

Squid Game 2 (2024) (7 Episodes)

After winning the Squid Games, Seong Gi Hun receives the prize money he was promised. However, instead of feeling elated at his newfound wealth, he is overwhelmed by resentment toward the game’s organizers for the trauma they inflicted on him and for ruthlessly killing the other participants. Consumed by anger, Gi Hun vows to expose the people behind the deadly competition and protect others from falling into their trap. Determined to bring down the system from within, he joins forces with a former police officer and a loan shark, devising a plan to re-enter the game and confront the mastermind who orchestrates it all.

 

What’s nice about “Squid Game 2”?

After the success of the first season of Squid Game, the show makers decided to add more known faces to season 2. So, this time it was a mixed bag of popular K-drama actors and K-pop artists. This addition to the star-studded cast was highly publicized, which helped generate more curiosity in the show. I was excited to see Kang Ha Neul as I have enjoyed watching him in other shows.

And he was good in this show as well. However, the show stealer for me was Big Bang’s famous (infamous?) rapper Choi Seung Hyun aka T.O.P., who played the character named Thanos.  

This purple-head dope addict looked and played the part to perfection. Perhaps he could relate to his character the most as compared to the other actors, which kinda explains the limited but good performance.

But what truly makes Squid Game season 2 different from its predecessor is the connection between characters. In season one, most characters were complete strangers, but this time, some characters knew each other from before. For instance, the mother-son duo of Jang Geum Ja (Kang Ae Sim) and Yang Dong Geun (Park Yong Sik) stood out to me as I could see genuine connection, concern, and love between the two characters. The son is a bum who cannot handle finances, and his mother is trying her best to pay off their debts. They are not frauds; they are nice people just unable to save money, which makes them such real characters. Then Seong Gi Hun’s friend from season 1, Park Jung Bae (Lee Seo Hwan), returns this time as a player of the Squid Game. Their camaraderie comes off as genuine, as it offers rare moments of warmth amid the brutal competition. Jung Bae eventually becomes Gi Hun’s ally in the game, and as a viewer, I was totally invested in their friendship, hoping for their survival. It was these relationships that kept me engaged in the show.  

Another aspect I enjoyed about the show was its kind and caring characters, which made it easy to stay emotionally invested. For instance, Geum Ja was an absolute gem. As a mother, she not only cared deeply for her son but also looked out for those around her. She notices that Kim Jun Hee (Jo Yu Ri) is pregnant and offers to help her on several occasions. You see, the purpose of the games is rooted in the organizers’ disdain for poor people. They firmly believe the poor are destined to die meaningless deaths, so they might as well be used for entertainment. In contrast, the presence of such compassionate and thoughtful characters is what truly draws you in. And that approach almost always works well on me. I find myself emotionally involved with each of these good-hearted individuals. I want them all to succeed and find solutions to their problems. No wonder I completed the show despite all the blood splattered on the screen.  

 

What’s not so nice about “Squid Game 2”?

Like season 1, I did not enjoy this season because there was just too much bloodshed and killing for my taste. Of course, that kind of violence is the show’s trademark, and without it, the series probably wouldn’t have the same impact. But personally, it felt overwhelming. This time, they even showed the volunteers carrying out the killings coldly and ruthlessly, which made it even more disturbing. One of the shooters kept firing at people multiple times just to make sure they were dead. For me, it was all just a bit too much. If you enjoy video games that involve shooting, then you might like this show. But if you are an ultra-sensitive soul like me, you too might find 85% of the run-time hard to watch.

Even if I set aside all the dark elements of the show, one thing that truly disturbed me was the presence of a pregnant contestant. Kim Jun Hee, abandoned by her boyfriend, joins the game hoping to earn money to raise her child. Coincidentally, her ex-boyfriend, YouTuber Lee Myung Gi (Im Si Wan) is also a contestant. While he tries to reconcile, Jun Hee clearly has no interest in forgiving him. Watching her compete under such intense and dangerous conditions made me deeply uneasy. The thought of something happening to her unborn child filled me with anxiety. She was the one character I truly wished wasn’t part of the show.

 

The show works because of its new characters and their converging storylines. The bloodshed is too ‘last season’ to push this show ahead again this time. 

Squid Game 2 is the less shocking and more character-based version of its predecessor. I am not giving it any ratings as I feel the violence is taken to a notch higher, and I do not want more such shows being created.

 

Image Courtesy: Netflix 

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